Related News
Britain vows to stem gas price fallout
Print Edition
Britain said it would work with the energy industry to try to stem the fallout from soaring gas prices after fears grew that more energy providers and food producers would struggle to operate
Business minister Kwasi Kwarteng said on Saturday he had been reassured that the security of gas supply was not a cause for immediate concern but he would work with providers to 鈥渕anage the wider implications of the global gas price increase.鈥
Kwarteng held emergency talks with executives from National Grid, Centrica, EDF and the regulator Ofgem on Saturday and was due to hold further discussions with industry figures on yesterday and today.
A jump in gas prices has already forced several domestic energy suppliers out of business and has shut fertilizer plants that also produce carbon dioxide, used to stun animals before slaughter and prolong the shelf-life of food.
Consumer groups and opposition politicians have warned that some customers and businesses will struggle to pay higher bills. The BBC reported that at least four small British energy companies were expected to go bust this week.
The Business department said the pressures facing firms were discussed during the meeting. Kwarteng said no customer would go without gas or power because an alternative supplier would be found if one went bust. 鈥淧rotecting customers during a time of heightened global gas prices is an absolute priority,鈥 he said on Twitter.
The government has been moved to act after low gas storage levels, decreased supplies from Russia, low renewables output and nuclear maintenance outages combined to more than triple European gas prices this year, hitting record highs.
The impact was immediately felt in the UK food sector where the shortage of CO2, also used in beer, cider and soft drinks, compounded an acute shortage of truck drivers, which has been blamed on the impact of COVID-19 and Brexit.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
